Use of bromocriptine in unexplained infertility

In order to determine whether infertility of unexplained aetiology would respond to therapy with bromocriptine, 50 regularly ovulating infertile patients were studied in a double-blind placebo controlled trial. Following an observation cycle in which midluteal urinary oestrogen and pregnanediol excretion and late luteal serum PRL and hCG levels were determined, patients were randomly allocated to treatment with either bromocriptine or placebo for three cycles. Patients who did not conceive were then treated for three cycles with the alternative therapy. Eighteen women (36%) conceived, five during the observation cycle, four during treatment with bromocriptine, four whilst receiving placebo and five during the 12 month follow-up period. The pregnancy rate achieved in patients treated with bromocriptine was thus no better than that for the group as a whole.